KMU rolls out modular curriculum system

Programme will operate in five constituent, affiliate institutions

PESHAWAR: In a bid to improve the educational standards at medical universities in the province, the Khyber Medical University in Peshawar has launched a modular curriculum system in line with requirements of the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) at its five constituent and affiliated medical colleges.

A decision in this regard was taken after conducting a series of consultative meetings between the principals of affiliated medical colleges and Khyber Medical University (KMU) Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Arshad Javaid.

The current curriculum taught in Pakistan is a discipline-based model, inherited from British India, and is generally centred around old-fashioned teaching methods which relies on passive learning rather than didactic teaching and adult learning.

While the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has chalked out outlines for medical curriculum KMU’s faculty believes it does not consider the health needs of the country, lacks integration of basic with clinical sciences and is a source of stress for medical students.

Since medical education needs to be constantly updated in response to social needs and requirements of the medical practice, a robust curriculum needs constant revision and reforms in the light of changing social circumstances, KMU officials said.

Moreover, they feared that their inability to keep up with the changing education needs around the world could lead to some foreign doors closing for local doctors, especially after the implementation of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduate (ECFMG) in 2023. Thus, they said, it was critical that the curriculum issue is taken as urgent and treated as a priority and hence they devised the modular curriculum system at its affiliated medical colleges as a pilot project.

With KMU the only medical university in the province, it has a mandate and responsibility to spearhead the curricular reforms by initiating the process, sensitising stakeholders, providing guidance, developing capacity, supervising the process, developing assessment process and ensuring compliance in all the constituent and affiliated medical schools.

In this regard, the KMU has set up a Central Curriculum Committee with senior officials from all the constituent and affiliated medical schools.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2017.